The iron and steel industry are the main users of refractory products, e.g. shaped products such as bricks made from magnesia, dolomite, bauxite, and andalusite, and unshaped products used for blast furnace tap holes, troughs, and tundish liners. Typically, the products are made under pressure (isostatically) and synthetic resins (phenolic resins and furan resins) are used as binders.
The materials used in the refractory products must be such that the mixing of the oxide-based refractory components with graphite and other additives, as well as 10–20% of added binder, yields a fine-grained, homogeneous granulate, which can be charged into the isostatic compression pattern without separation occurring. Furthermore, the mix must be dried to a certain extent to produce a free flowing, storable granulate.
Although there are some technologies available that satisfy these requirements, they are often associated with environmental, health, and safety issues. Therefore, there is a need for a binder, which in addition to providing the performance aspects required for the majority of refractory compositions, also provides improved environmental, health, and safety benefits in terms of emissions, exposures, and life cycle environmental impact.
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